Meta, the tech giant, has announced that its virtual world, Horizon Worlds, will soon be accessible via web and mobile devices.
This development was officially announced by Meta in a blog post on Thursday.
In their blog post, Meta emphasized their commitment to making the metaverse accessible to everyone, regardless of the device they use. While virtual reality glasses offer an immersive experience, Meta believes in offering multiple entry points, hence the expansion to web and mobile platforms.
Previously, this “metaverse” was only accessible through Oculus Rift S and Meta Quest 2 virtual reality glasses. The first Horizon world to be available on other devices will be the fps arena shooter Super Rumble, a game developed by Meta’s in-house development studio, Ouro Interactive.
The company had a working mobile version of Horizon Worlds last year but chose not to release it due to user interface reasons. More details about the future of Horizon Worlds will be revealed in Meta’s Connect seminar on September 27 and 28.
While the mobile or desktop version of Super Rumble is not exactly a metaverse experience, it does represent a step towards Meta’s vision of an enveloping parallel virtual world.
This vision was laid out by Mark Zuckerberg when he announced the company’s name change to Meta. The goal of Horizon Worlds, as described by Meta’s Chief Technology Officer Andy Bosworth, is to drive a lot of people to the metaverse.
According to Meta, Super Rumble currently represents the pinnacle of graphical achievement in Horizon Worlds and sets the stage for more advanced gaming experiences to come. Initially, a select group of users can try out Super Rumble through the Android version of the Meta Quest app, with support for the iPhone application coming in the next few weeks. If you’re eager to join the action, you can sign up for the web access waiting list at Horizon.meta.com.
Despite this expansion, it’s important to note that when you log into the mobile or desktop version of Super Rumble, you’re essentially playing a multiplayer game – an experience that has been available since 1972 with the release of Pong. Nevertheless, this move is likely an attempt to get people interested in the more immersive version of Horizon.
